摘要：
Precision thermometry of the skin can, together with other measurements, provide clinically relevant information about cardiovascular health, cognitive state, malignancy and many other important aspects of human physiology. Here, we introduce an ultrathin, compliant skin-like sensor/actuator technology that can pliably laminate onto the epidermis to provide continuous, accurate thermal characterizations that are unavailable with other methods. Examples include non-invasive spatial mapping of skin temperature with millikelvin precision, and simultaneous quantitative assessment of tissue thermal conductivity. Such devices can also be implemented in ways that reveal the time-dynamic influence of blood flow and perfusion on these properties. Experimental and theoretical studies establish the underlying principles of operation, and define engineering guidelines for device design. Evaluation of subtle variations in skin temperature associated with mental activity, physical stimulation and vasoconstriction/dilation along with accurate determination of skin hydration through measurements of thermal conductivity represent some important operational examples.

摘要：
BACKGROUND: The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA is regarded as one of the candidate DNA barcodes because it possesses a number of valuable characteristics, such as the availability of conserved regions for designing universal primers, the ease of its amplification, and sufficient variability to distinguish even closely related species. However, a general analysis of its ability to discriminate species in a comprehensive sample set is lacking. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the current study, 50,790 plant and 12,221 animal ITS2 sequences downloaded from GenBank were evaluated according to sequence length, GC content, intra- and inter-specific divergence, and efficiency of identification. The results show that the inter-specific divergence of congeneric species in plants and animals was greater than its corresponding intra-specific variations. The success rates for using the ITS2 region to identify dicotyledons, monocotyledons, gymnosperms, ferns, mosses, and animals were 76.1%, 74.2%, 67.1%, 88.1%, 77.4%, and 91.7% at the species level, respectively. The ITS2 region unveiled a different ability to identify closely related species within different families and genera. The secondary structure of the ITS2 region could provide useful information for species identification and could be considered as a molecular morphological characteristic. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: As one of the most popular phylogenetic markers for eukaryota, we propose that the ITS2 locus should be used as a universal DNA barcode for identifying plant species and as a complementary locus for CO1 to identify animal species. We have also developed a web application to facilitate ITS2-based cross-kingdom species identification (http://its2-plantidit.dnsalias.org).

摘要：
Fatty acids as phase change materials have attracted much attention for their various applications in building energy efficiency, solar heating systems and air-conditioning systems. After summarizing the basic characteristics of fatty acids, eutectic mixtures of fatty acids and fatty acid esters, as well as the preparation and characteristics of fatty acid composites as phase change materials (PCMs), this paper analyzes the thermal reliability and stability of fatty acids as PCMs and their heat transfer characteristics in a unit which is followed by an introduction to the energy storage systems of three kinds of fatty acids as PCMs. Besides, it also points out the future research direction of fatty acids as PCMs as a solution of the insufficiency and flaws of current researches. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

摘要：
Diabetic skin ulcer is difficult to heal due to the lack of cellular and molecular signals required for normal wound repair. Emulsion electrospinning was adopted to imbed basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) into ultrafine fibers with a core-sheath structure to promote the wound healing process. An initially burst release as low as 14.0 +/- 2.2% was achieved, followed by gradual release for around 4 wk. In vitro investigations on mouse embryo fibroblasts indicated that bFGF-loaded fibrous mats enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation, and secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM). Skin wounds were created in the dorsal area of diabetic rats for in vivo evaluation of skin regeneration after covered with bFGF-loaded fibrous mats. Compared with fibrous mats infiltrated with free bFGF, bFGF-loaded scaffolds revealed significantly higher wound recovery rate with complete re-epithelialization and regeneration of skin appendages. Higher density and mature capillary vessels were generated during 2 wk after treatment with bFGF-loaded fibers, and there was no fiber fragment observed in the histological sections at week 4 after operation. The gradual release of bFGF from fibrous mats enhanced collagen deposition and ECM remodeling, and the arrangement and component of collagen fibers were similar to normal tissues. The above results demonstrate the potential use of bFGF-loaded electrospun fibrous mats to rapidly restore the structural and functional properties of wounded skin for patients with diabetic mellitus. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

摘要：
The electrospinning process was utilized successfully to fabricate the random oriented and aligned electrically conductive nanofibers of biodegradable poly-DL-lactide (PLA) in which multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were embedded. The topographical features of the composite nanofibers were characterized by SEM. The dispersion and alignment of MWCNTs in nanofiber matrix were observed by TEM. The in vitro degradation was characterized in terms of the morphological change, the mass loss and the reduction of polymer molecular weight as well as the decrease of pH value of degradation media. In particular, these conductive nanofiber meshes offered a unique system to study the synergistic effect of topographic cues and electrical stimulation on osteoblasts outgrowth as a way of exploring their potential application in bone tissue engineering. The results of obsteoblasts assay unstimulated showed that the aligned nanofibers as topographic cues could enhance the extension and direct the outgrowth of obsteoblasts better than random fibers. In the presence of direct current (DC) of 100 mu A, the obsteoblasts on all samples grew along the electrical current direction. The cellular elongation and proliferation were mainly dependent on the electrical stimulation whereas the topographical features played a minor role in them. Therefore, electrical stimulation with an appropriate DC value imparted on conductive substrate had great potential in application of bone tissue engineering. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

摘要：
This paper presents a framework to investigate the dynamics of overall vehicle–track systems with emphasis on theoretical modelling, numerical simulation and experimental validation. A three-dimensional vehicle–track coupled dynamics model is developed in which a typical railway passenger vehicle is modelled as a 35-degree-of-freedom multi-body system. A traditional ballasted track is modelled as two parallel continuous beams supported by a discrete-elastic foundation of three layers with sleepers and ballasts included. The non-ballasted slab track is modelled as two parallel continuous beams supported by a series of elastic rectangle plates on a viscoelastic foundation. The vehicle subsystem and the track subsystem are coupled through a wheel–rail spatial coupling model that considers rail vibrations in vertical, lateral and torsional directions. Random track irregularities expressed by track spectra are considered as system excitations by means of a time–frequency transformation technique. A fast explicit integration method is applied to solve the large nonlinear equations of motion of the system in the time domain. A computer program named TTISIM is developed to predict the vertical and lateral dynamic responses of the vehicle–track coupled system. The theoretical model is validated by full-scale field experiments, including the speed-up test on the Beijing–Qinhuangdao line and the high-speed running test on the Qinhuangdao–Shenyang line. Differences in the dynamic responses analysed by the vehicle–track coupled dynamics and by the classical vehicle dynamics are ascertained in the case of vehicles passing through curved tracks.

摘要：
The multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methods VIKOR and TOPSIS are all based on an aggregating function representing "closeness to the ideal", which originated in the compromise programming method. The VIKOR method of compromise ranking determines a compromise solution, providing a maximum "group utility" for the "majority" and a minimum of an "individual regret" for the "opponent", which is an effective tool in multi-criteria decision making, particularly in a situation where the decision maker is not able, or does not know to express his/her preference at the beginning of system design. The TOPSIS method determines a solution with the shortest distance to the ideal solution and the greatest distance from the negative-ideal solution, but it does not consider the relative importance of these distances. And, the hesitant fuzzy set is a very useful tool to deal with uncertainty, which can be accurately and perfectly described in terms of the opinions of decision makers. In this paper, we develop the E-VIKOR method and TOPSIS method to solve the MCDM problems with hesitant fuzzy set information. Firstly, the hesitant fuzzy set information and corresponding concepts are described, and the basic essential of the VIKOR method is introduced. Then, the problem on multiple attribute decision marking is described, and the principles and steps of the proposed E-VIKOR method and TOPSIS method are presented. Finally, a numerical example illustrates an application of the E-VIKOR method, and the result by the TOPSIS method is compared. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

摘要：
Currently available cardiovascular implants, such as heart valves and stents, exhibit suboptimal biocompatibility because of the incomplete endothelialization and sequential thrombosis formation especially after a long-term implantation. To improve the blood compatibility and endothelialization simultaneously and ensure the long-term effect of the cardiovascular implants, a technique of combining electrostatic interaction and coimmobilization was developed to form heparin and fibronectin (Hep/Fn) films on aminosilanized titanium (Ti) surfaces. The Hep/Fn coimmobilized films were stable after immersion in PBS for five days, probed by wettability studies and by the release kinetics of heparin and fibronectin. Blood compatibility tests showed that the coimmobilized Hep/Fn films displayed lower hemolysis rate, prolonged blood coagulation time, higher AT III binding density, less platelets activation and aggregation, and less fibrinogen conformational change compared with Ti surface. Endothelial cells (ECs) seeding and fibronectin bioactivity results showed more attached and proliferated ECs and exposed cell-binding sites on the Hep/Fn immobilized samples than that on Ti surfaces. Thus, the Hep/Fn coimmobilized films kept excellent bioactivity even after immersion in PBS for five days. Systemic evaluation suggests that the coimmobilization of Hep/Fn complex improves the blood compatibility and promotes the endothelialization simultaneously. We envisage that this method will provide a potential and effective selection for biomaterials surface modification of cardiovascular implants. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.